Today (21st), China's first F1 driver Zhou Guanyu finished 14th in the main race of the Shanghai F1 Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the first Chinese driver in F1 history to finish in China. After the race, Zhou Guanyu thanked all the fans who were on site and in front of the screen. In the cheers of the audience, he hid his face and wept.
Formula car, along with the Olympics and the World Cup, is known as the world's three major events, and at present, there is only one Chinese player on this track, Zhou Guanyu. Playing at home for the first time, his helmet was emblazoned with a map of the Shanghai subway and several Shanghai landmarks.
Before the race, he said that the battle in his hometown means a lot to him, "From a small fan 20 years ago to an F1 driver today, I hope fans can see that Chinese drivers are speeding at international circuits!"
"I want everyone to know about the Chinese driver
All the way up from the lower divisions"
In 2004, when F1 entered China for the first time, the five-year-old Zhou Guanyu sat in the stands of the Shanghai International Circuit in China for the first time, and the deafening sound of the engine made him a little scared and nervous at that time. But ever since, he has been fascinated by F1.
Since he was 8 years old, Zhou Guanyu has won almost all the championships in various domestic events. But after going abroad, he found that it was difficult for him to even be among the top 10 in the world, which was a big blow to him at that time.
Zhou Guanyu recalled that when he won the championship abroad for the first time in his career, there was no Chinese flag and national anthem, and they did not know that Chinese drivers could still stand at the highest point of this platform.
Later, he broke through again and again, and slowly let the world know that there is such a Chinese driver who has come all the way from the low-level races.
Zhou Guanyu said that many people like to call him "Chinese Zhou" (中国周), although more and more people now know him and know his full name, but "Chinese Zhou" has always been a label that accompanies him. "I think it's not easy for a Chinese driver to step into F1 and I'm happy to tell you where I'm from. ”
"The flag is my motivation
Everything I do will be seen by the whole world."
Becoming an F1 driver is a long and arduous process. Without professional training, the average person simply can't drive an F1 car.
When driving, the cabin temperature is as high as 70°C, pressing the brake pedal once is equivalent to kicking a 100-kilogram iron block in the gym, and turning at an average speed of 200 kilometers per hour is equivalent to a 20-kilogram iron block hanging from the cervical spine......
In the nearly two-hour race, the total body fat consumption and dehydration weight of the drivers is about 3 kilograms, and this is just the daily routine of F1 drivers.
If you want to become an official F1 driver, you have to keep scoring by winning championships. In 2021, Zhou Guanyu became the first person in Chinese F1. After that, he continued to refresh his results, "What foreign drivers can do, we Chinese have also done!"
At high speeds, accidents and injuries are inevitable. On July 3, 2022, the day before the main race of the F1 British Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu had just refreshed his best time in the qualifying race of his F1 career, but the two cars next to him collided due to a scramble route, causing Zhou's car to fly and roll, but fortunately his body was fine.
Zhou Guanyu recalled that it was the first time his family reunited to watch him play, and after the accident, he was very uncomfortable and hoped to recover as soon as possible and participate in the next competition.
From a hobby to a professional driver, over the years, Zhou Guanyu has always adhered to it, he said: "The national flag has always been my motivation, and I feel that everything I do will definitely be seen by the world." ”
Combined @F1 World Championships
Source: CCTV News
Process Editor: U022